ALECSO Conference of Ministers and Leaders Responsible for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the Arab World

The first (1) Conference was held under the gracious hospitality of the Ministry of Employment, Vocational Training and Information and Communication Technologies of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, with the participation of delegations from thirteen Arab countries and a number of regional and international organizations. The conference discussed the topic "Developing and Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab World" through the following reference documents: "The Reality of Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab Countries", "Successful Global Experiences in the Field of Technical and Vocational Education and Emerging Trends", and "Developing Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab World (a proposed vision)".

The following decision and recommendations were issued by the conference:

• Decision: After presenting the vision of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) "Developing Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab World", the conference decides:

1. Adopting the submitted document as a general framework for developing technical and vocational education in the Arab world.
2. Forming the following working groups:

- Working group for establishing professional qualifications frameworks / Coordinator: Morocco.

- Standard indicators group / Coordinator: Egypt.

- Professional description group / Coordinator: Saudi Arabia.

- Partnerships and financing group / Coordinator: Mauritania.

3. The conference approves holding a periodic conference every two years, and invites the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to take the necessary measures to present it to the Organization's General Conference.

First: Recommendations directed to Arab countries: Inviting Arab countries to:

1. Designate contact points that facilitate the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO)'s obtaining of the data and information needed to issue periodic reports and exchange information between countries through the ALECSO Arab Observatory.
2. Establish mechanisms to involve the private sector and civil society organizations in planning, financing, implementing and evaluating technical and vocational education.
3. Link technical and vocational education development policies to the current and future needs of the labour market at the national and Arab levels, and enact legislation and laws regulating the labour market and skilled labour, to improve wages based on professional and skill competence.
4. Introduce positive concepts about technical and vocational education into general education through counselling, guidance and entrepreneurship.

• Recommendations directed to the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO): Inviting ALECSO to:

1. Establish practical mechanisms for obtaining data on technical education, its qualifications and the labour markets' needs for its graduates, and making them available and disseminating them, and communicating with countries to appoint a liaison officer.
2. Establish an Arab qualifications framework that guides preparation systems, facilitates the movement of students between institutions, and between Arab countries and the labour market, and enables the development of the plans and strategies needed to develop the technical and vocational education system in Arab countries.
3. Develop performance indicators that enable monitoring and evaluating the output of the technical and vocational education system in the Arab world based on adopted international standards such as integration standards and the operational map.
4. Establish a mechanism for exchanging Arab experiences and expertise in the field of technical and vocational education, and making them available on a website dedicated to technical and vocational education.
5. Inviting the Organization to establish a Department for Technical and Vocational Training.

The second conference was held at the ALECSO headquarters in Tunis during the period 26-28 October 2021 under the gracious hospitality of the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training of the Republic of Tunisia, with the participation of delegations from fifteen (15) Arab countries, namely: the Emirates, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, Lebanon, the Comoros, Somalia, Palestine, Qatar, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Yemen, and a number of national, regional and international organizations: UNESCO, ISESCO, the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, the Arab Union for Technical Education, and a representative of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts. The conference discussed the topic "Technical and Vocational Education and Training between Societal Culture and Labour Market Requirements: Challenges and Stakes" through the following reference documents: "Technical and Vocational Education and Training between Societal Culture and Labour Market Requirements", the document of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Professional Integration of the Republic of Tunisia "Strategic Directions for Developing the Work-based Vocational Training System", "Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluating the Output of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training System in the Arab World", "Mechanisms for Obtaining Data on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Its Qualifications and the Labour Markets' Needs", "Towards Building a Unified and Comprehensive Arab Framework for Educational, Training and Skills Qualifications", and the document of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Department of Education and Scientific Research) "Follow-up on the Implementation of the Arab Leaders' Decision on the Comprehensive Development Plan for Advancing the Technical and Vocational Education System",

The conference issued nine (10) recommendations, with seven (7) recommendations directed to Arab countries and three (3) recommendations to ALECSO, which are as follows:

• First - Recommendations directed to Arab countries: Inviting Arab countries to:

1. Improve the attractiveness of technical and vocational education and training through various mechanisms, such as organizing an Arab skills competition periodically.
2. Establish a labour market data observatory in Arab countries that lack one, to rely on it in formulating technical and vocational education and training policies.
3. Establish mechanisms for foreseeing the professions of the future.
4. Develop special programmes to support the culture of entrepreneurship among trainees to prepare them to launch their own projects.
5. Integrate learning and skills about professions into basic/preparatory education curricula in order to create professional orientations among young people.
6. Update legislation to encourage the private sector to invest in technical and vocational education and training.
7. Allocate the necessary funding to develop technical and vocational education and training.

• Second - Recommendations directed to the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO): Inviting ALECSO to:

1. Build a unified Arab qualifications framework.
2. Develop standards for determining the outputs of technical and vocational education and training.
3. Monitor and disseminate successful Arab and international experiences in the technical and vocational education and training sector.

Under the gracious hosting of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Ministry of Vocational Training and Education, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and the Ministry of Vocational Training and Education held the "Third (3) Conference of Ministers and Leaders Responsible for Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the Arab World during the period 26-28 December 2022 at the Ali Rahal International Conference Center in the capital, Algiers, with the participation of (10) Arab countries, namely: the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Tunisia, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Sudan, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the State of Palestine, the State of Qatar, the State of Libya, and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and a number of regional and international organizations and unions: the Association of Arab Universities, the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education in Riyadh, and the Arab Union for Technical Education, and under the supervision of His Excellency Professor Dr. Aymen Ben Abderrahmane, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Algeria, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Gendarmerie, the Governor of the capital Algiers, and a number of important figures, with extensive media coverage at the Algerian national, Arab, regional and international levels. The conference discussed the topic "Aligning Technical and Vocational Education and Training with the Labour Market and the Future of the Green Economy and Digitalization", through the following reference documents: "The Main Document: Aligning Technical and Vocational Education and Training with the Labour Market and the Future of the Green Economy", the document of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Ministry of Vocational Training and Education "The Vocational Training and Education Sector: Sixty (60) Years, Achievements, Challenges and Prospects", the document "The Joint Arab Qualifications Framework", the document "Standards for Determining the Outputs of Technical and Vocational Education and Training", the document: "The Role of Scientific Research and Innovation in Developing the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Sector to Contribute to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, the Experience of the Arab Republic of Egypt as a Model", in addition to the outputs of the workshops that discussed the topic: "The Competitive Advantage of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Systems to Enhance Youth Employment Opportunities in Arab Countries", and "The Role of Studies and Research in Developing the Vocational Training and Education Sector", and a presentation of a number of national experiences, namely: the experience of Algeria, the experience of Saudi Arabia, and the experience of the Emirates.

The conference issued thirteen (13) recommendations, nine (9) recommendations directed to Arab countries, and four (4) recommendations directed to the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and its partners, which are as follows:

• Recommendations directed to Arab countries: Inviting Arab countries to:

1. Increase the level of attention to the field of technical training and vocational education within policies, legislation and regulations in the Arab world.
2. A call to develop technical and vocational education and training curricula in accordance with the international specifications and standards related to the profession.
3. Direct studies and research to serve and develop the technical and vocational education and training sector in the Arab world.
4. Keep pace with digital transformation in the field of technical and vocational education and training.
5. Ensure equal opportunities for technical and vocational education and training for the various segments of society.
6. Include green economy concepts in technical and vocational education and training curricula.
7. Adopt mechanisms to support the projects of qualified youth.
8. Develop the infrastructure of the technical and vocational education and training sector.
9. Support the Republic of Somalia in benefiting from the experiences of leading countries in the field of vocational training, and that the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) provide it with coordination and technical support.

• Recommendations directed to the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and its partners:Inviting ALECSO to:

1. Inviting ALECSO and the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education to include the quality of technical and vocational education and training in the Arab Model for Quality and Excellence in Education project.
2. Inviting ALECSO and the Association of Arab Universities to coordinate with Arab countries that do not have national frameworks to technically assist them in developing their national frameworks, and to train the relevant personnel on designing and qualifying them by adopting the Joint Arab Reference Framework for Qualifications.
3. Inviting ALECSO, in cooperation with Arab countries, to develop an electronic platform in technical and vocational education and training that serves as digital incubators encouraging creativity and innovation.
4. Develop a guiding manual for the terminology specific to technical and vocational education and training.